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The daughter of an American woman who went missing in the Bahamas says she thinks Brian Hooker is using her mother’s illness as an “excuse” to leave the island after spending five days in a Freeport jail.
Karli Aylesworth told Fox News Digital on Friday that Hooker’s mother “has been sick for a while.” Hooker left the Bahamas suddenly on Wednesday after saying he would stay in the country to look after his missing wife, Aylesworth’s mother, Lynette.
He was released from a Bahamian prison on Monday night after five days behind bars, and made that promise in an interview with the media on Tuesday morning.
“He wants to continue to look for his wife, because that’s what he’s focused on,” his attorney, Terrell Butler, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “As long as he can stay in the Bahamas, he will stay in the Bahamas.”
Karli Aylesworth and her partner Steven arrive in Marsh Harbor, Bahamas, Thursday, April 16, 2025. Karli is the daughter of a missing American woman, Lynette Hooker. (Matthew Symons of the NY Post)
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But about 24 hours later, Hooker changed his mind.
“Following his release from custody without charge, Mr. Hooker is now faced with another emergency. In addition to the trauma of his missing wife of 25 years, Mr. Hooker received an emergency report regarding his mother’s illness,” Butler told NBC News Wednesday afternoon. “He went away.” [the] The United States of America will be by his side during this critical time. “
Brian and Lynette Hooker sit on a boat in the water in this undated photo. (Brian Hooker/Facebook)
Butler did not say where in the US Hooker was headed, but a source familiar with the case told Fox News Digital that he arrived in Atlanta.
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Aylesworth, who arrived in the Bahamas on Thursday, has been critical of his stepfather since his mother Lynette went missing.
“I think it shows his character. Somehow he lost his mother in the sea and he cried on camera saying he would never stop searching, and then he left the next day,” Aylesworth. he told the New York Post upon his arrival in the town of Marsh Harbour, near where his mother was lost.
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A general view of the yacht “Soulmate,” owned by Brian and Lynette Hooker, in Marsh Harbor, The Bahamas, April 16, 2025. (Matthew Symons of the NY Post)
Hooker left the couple’s 40-foot yacht, called “Soulmate,” moored near the ship in Marsh Harbor.
The New York Post captured close-up photos of the idling boat.
Shortly after Lynette’s disappearance, Aylesworth told Fox News Digital that she was aware of “previous issues” with Brian’s behavior.
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A general view of the interior of “Soulmate,” Brian and Lynette Hooker’s boat, in Marsh Harbor, Bahamas, April 16, 2025. Inside the boat are dumbbells and various other items. (Matthew Symons of the NY Post)
“There have been previous issues that have been brought to my attention, which would be important to anyone thorough investigation. If this was truly an accident, I understand and live with it,” said Aylesworth. “However, the facts and circumstances of this tragic incident need to be thoroughly reviewed before a decision can be made.”
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He also told “Fox and Friends” that something “doesn’t add up” about his mother’s disappearance, and accused Brian of having a “history of domestic violence” and anger issues.
Brian Hooker stops by the Central Police Station to pick up his wedding ring and watch with his attorney, Terrell A. Butler in Freeport, The Bahamas, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. His ring, which he put on his pinky, was missing when he was released from jail last night after being questioned by police in the disappearance of his wife, Lynette Hooker. (Matthew Symons of Fox News Digital)
Huka says Lynette’s disappearance was an accident caused by strong winds and rough seas. The pair left the Abaco Inn on Elbow Cay in their boat on April 4, heading to their tour boat along the cay’s west coast. The trip was short, but Brian said Lynette fell into choppy waters.
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He has always maintained that he is innocent of wrongdoing, and has not been charged.
He spent five days in jail – the maximum allowed under Bahamian law – while police investigated. That investigation is still ongoing even though he has been released.
